234 North American Forests and Forestry 



injured by the act of the government. Mine owners 

 claimed that they were prevented by the order 

 from developing valuable mineral lands ; lumber- 

 men grumbled that their timber supply was being 

 cut short. It was stated that the tracts set aside 

 included agricultural lands, and even village sites, 

 and that numerous settlers were cut off from com- 

 munication with the outside world. But the loudest 

 clamor came from the sheepmen, who had been in 

 the habit of driving their immense flocks over the 

 public lands without let or hindrance, leaving de- 

 struction in their paths. The opposition succeeded 

 in getting the Senate to insert in the Sundry Civil 

 Bill, during the session of 1898, a clause suspending 

 the operation of the orders indefinitely, and restor- 

 ing the tracts covered by them to that part of the 

 public domain open to private entry. Fortunately, 

 this aroused the friends of the policy. It was 

 shown that most of the arguments of the opposition 

 were based on an intentional or unintentional mis- 

 representation of the facts. The House of Repre- 

 sentatives refused to accept the amendment of the 

 Senate, and in conference the latter receded from 

 its position. Since that time, President McKinley 

 has established several more forest reservations, 

 mostly in compliance with requests from the people 

 of the surrounding regions themselves. The oppo- 

 sition has almost entirely collapsed, and even some 

 of the sheepmen have seen the error of their ways. 

 The government had laid itself open to attack 

 from the business interests of the territory affected 



